


Silence

by Fantasy_Writer_Hina



Series: Hollow Wisdom [2]
Category: X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men: The Animated Series
Genre: Canon Relationships, F/M, hints of Daken/OC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2019-11-26 08:37:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18178361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fantasy_Writer_Hina/pseuds/Fantasy_Writer_Hina
Summary: The silence woke her. On a cold spring night, Zofia wakes up to an unsettling presence. As it turns out an old acquaintance of Logan's has caught up to him. Fearing for Zofia's safety Wolverine takes Zofia with him and returns to the X-Men once more before confronting his enemy, Sabertooth. With his past comes a sin of his blood.





	1. Don't say I'm out of Touch With This Rampant Chaos, Your Reality

The snow finally started melting even though it was still a bit nippy outside, especially at night. Light trailed from a log cabin, with remnants of winter melting away from the roof. It was always cold in Alaska save for the Summer Months, but it was only March and things were starting to warm up. Through a window, the figure saw him sitting in what looked like a small loveseat with a woman curled into his side.  
  
Her head was on his shoulder, her arms were around his waist as he held a book in his hands. An eyebrow raised and a gruff voice left the man’s lips.  
  
“You want me to read you this book of fairy tales?” Confusion underlined with amusement could be heard, but he was more confused than anything else. The woman giggled beside him and nodded.  
  
“Of course, my daddy used to read to me when I was a little girl so I thought it’d be good practice for you.” She said softly. She didn’t bother looking at him. From what the figure could tell, the woman was blind. That much it knew.  
  
The Runt just wrinkled his nose in derision.  
  
“I don’t know if reading a fairy tale to your stomach will work. Can the baby even hear at this stage?” He questioned.  
  
A smirk formed on the figure’s lips as he gave a very soft growl-like chuckle. It wasn’t a friendly chuckle either. It was one of contempt and amusement. To see his longtime enemy reduced to reading children’s stories to a blind mouse. How the mighty have fallen.  
  
The mouse just giggled and shook her head. “No, not completely. It might help it recognize your voice while it’s inside me.” She nuzzled the Runt’s shoulder, that action obviously breaking the man’s resolve.  
  
“You win, Snowflake, you and the little one.” The Runt mumbled, but despite the seemingly annoyed look on his face, he was clearly happy to be doing something for the Mouse. As soon as he opened the book, the mouse kissed the runt’s cheek and curled into his side once more. He then started reading the first fairy tale. “ _Once upon a time there was a rich merchant, who had three daughters. They lived in a very fine house in a beautiful city and had many servants in grand liveries to wait upon them._ ”  
  
Having seen enough, the tall blonde bestial man bared his teeth out of boredom and walked off, disappearing into the darkness of the woods. He’ll have to find the opportune moment to strike. He’ll let the Runt have this moment with the Mouse. It is or rather will be his last night on Earth after all.  
  
\---  
Everything was quiet and still, it was unsettling, to be honest. It was the unnerving silence that woke her. Zofia opened her eyes and laid there on her side, curled into Logan’s body with her head on his chest. Besides the steady beating of his heart and the breaths he takes in while sleeping, all was quiet, but Zofia felt a bit uneasy as she laid here in the darkness. She felt an icy cold feeling in the bit of her stomach as she sat up.  
  
The world around her seemed darker and a bit fuzzier according to her sixth sense. She knew the layout of her log cabin well enough to find her way around as she rose out of the bed without disturbing Logan. That man could sleep through a hurricane and he wouldn’t know it (okay with his cautious nature, a hurricane might wake him but it was hard for Zofia to intentionally wake him up).  
  
She carefully navigated her way to the bathroom, the nauseous feeling in her stomach getting steadily worse.  
  
It wasn’t until she reached the bathroom that Zofia felt the need to toss up the contents of her stomach. She found herself holding onto the edge of the bathroom sink, trying to keep herself from vomiting. But when you gotta go, you gotta go. The pressure was too strong and the woman couldn't help coughing and retching, leaning over the sink, her hands gripping the edge tightly. It felt like forever and her head was starting to throb as she was able to regain control.  
  
Zofia shivered at chilliness of the bathroom. When she stopped, Zofia felt a breeze blowing in from the open window of the bathroom. Usually, the windows would be closed especially at night. She didn’t think anything of it at first. That is until she reached for the latch to close the window. The feeling of being watched made her stop, and without realizing it, she sensed an unfamiliar presence. And for once, she felt a bit afraid. In her mind, she saw just outside the cabin, as far as the tree where Logan would chop up firewood and beneath the redwood tree was…  
  
Despite the darkness outside, she saw something large and black by the tree (well it appears black in her mind’s eye). The black mass grinned, baring its fangs at her. The sight of it made her jump back in surprise.  
  
A scream startled Wolverine, waking him up from his slumber. With the shockwave of fear and worry coursing through him, Logan quickly leaped out of bed, his metal claws coming out upon instinct.  
  
“Zofia?” Logan called out upon not seeing Zofia in the bed. He smelled her fear and…  
  
_Blood?_  
  
His heart jumped hard in his chest and fear entered his heart as he called out for Zofia once more.  
  
“Zofia?” Logan quickly ran to the bathroom, flipping the lights on in the process. Once inside the bathroom, he saw Zofia sitting on the ground, her back against the wall. There was a terrified look on her face; she looked pale like she had just seen a ghost. Her legs were drawn up to her chest and her hands were holding the sides of her face. It was like she was trying to drown something out.  
  
Logan gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to let his temper get the best of him. If there was something around, scaring the pants off of his Snowflake, they’d have him to answer to. He felt his claws ready to pop out, but Logan mentally counted back from ten before finding himself calm. He finally focused his attention back to Zofia. She needed him first, ass-kicking could wait till later.  
  
“Zofia, are you ok?” he asked kneeling down in front of her.  
  
Hearing the Canadian’s gruff voice, and feeling his large hands gently grabbing her wrists, Zofia finally opened her eyes and looked in the direction she could sense the voice came from.  
  
“L-Logan?” her voice came out as a soft squeak, which only happens when she’s under extreme duress. It was rare for her to be this scared. There’s never been anything in these mountains that could scare her. Not wolves, or mountain lions. Not even the occasional moose or elk that passes by. One would say she was one with nature. She definitely wasn’t aggressive or intimidating.  
  
“Yeah, it’s me, Snowflake,” Logan said softly, allowing her fingers to lace through his own.  
  
As Logan’s presence registered into her mind, a sense of tranquility flooded her heart and Zofia found herself throwing her arms around his neck, burying her face into his bare chest. She didn’t care that she was only in her panties or that the red flannel shirt she had stolen from Logan was hanging open and unbuttoned. And Logan didn’t seem to care that he was only in a pair of gray sweatpants. Zofia just hugged him, feeling relieved and besides, it was just Wolverine who would see her half-dressed like this.  
  
His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her close as he kissed the top of her head and stroked her back gently. As he did so, Logan glanced her over, checking for any signs of blood. He didn’t know why he smelled blood. Zofia wasn’t bleeding and, thankfully, nothing happened to the life growing inside her.  
  
He smirked to himself at the thought of him suddenly feeling worried about a child,  _his_  child… no, it was their child. His and Zofia’s. Three years go if anyone told Logan he was gonna be settling down with a woman and starting a family, he would’ve told that person to go fuck themselves. Three years…  
  
Has it been that long already? That was the last time he’s seen hide nor hair of Sabertooth, and it was the last time he saw the X-Men. Everyone had been gathered for the Professor’s goodbye before he left with the alien empress, Lilandra. It was hard staying there at the Institute without the glue that held the X-Men together.  
  
All of the uncomfortable feelings of being sad and angry started to return. Sensing the sudden shift in her lover’s mood, Zofia looked up at him.  
  
“Logan?” She started.  
  
Logan just grunted in response, giving her a kiss on her forehead and embracing her again.  
  
“I’m fine, Zofia.” He murmured. Logan glanced at the open window, noticing it was open. “Did you open this window?”  
  
Zofia shook her head as he released her and walked to close the window.  
  
“No, it was open when I came in.”  
  
His eyes narrowed at her words. Zofia was never one to lie because both of them had a habit of keeping the windows closed around this time of year, especially so now that they were expecting. As Logan approached the window, he looked out of it, peering into the darkness outside.  
  
“Did you see anything?” Logan asked. He heard the brunette breathing in deeply, her breath a bit shaky. “Zo?” he started.  
  
Zofia hugged herself, shivering a bit not at the cold, but at the memory of what just happened.  
  
Logan looked over his shoulder.  
  
“You saw somethin’, didn’t you, Darlin’?” Logan finally turned back around sensing her reluctance. He knelt down in front of her again, this time, giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze. He knew Zofia was trying to not worry him. After all, he has been fussing over her and the pregnancy night and day since they learned about her expecting.  
  
Zofia trembled again. If that thing she saw was real then it could be trouble and someone could get hurt. She nodded, allowing herself to relax a little.  
  
“It was some sort beast, or at least I thought it was a beast. It kinda grinned at me.” She answered, “it came from the direction of the firewood pile.”  
  
“Beneath the Redwood?”  
  
Another nod.  
  
Logan gave a quiet sniff, his senses on alert. He felt a small sliver of the old paranoia coming back, but he ignored it as he stood up and walked back to the window. The usual smells of the forest and mountain greeted him, as well as where Max had marked the territory and buried a few bones, but nothing out of the ordinary. Except…  
  
Logan gave another sniff and for a second he smelled the sweet scent of iron, of blood. The smell of blood wasn’t coming from outside. It was coming from…  
  
He followed the scent back to her, still sitting on the floor. Zofia looked confused as she heard Logan walking to her for the third time.  
  
“Logan?”  
  
“Are you bleeding?” Logan’s sharp tone ran through her, but a shake of her head dispelled his worries, well sort of. Another sniff. She knew he had a good sense of smell (it was part of his Mutant powers after all), but whenever he smelled blood, Logan would become a bit irritated, worried, and immediately start seeking out the source (Providing he wasn’t smelling an animal he had cleaned up for them to eat of course).  
  
Logan gently grabbed her hand and sniffed it, before moving onto her neck. He smelled her familiar sweet cologne (or what remained of it) but no blood here either. But then where was the blood coming from?  
  
Zofia’s heart beat fast, as Logan continued sniffing the air around her, seeking out where the blood was coming from. Instead of it being alluring or enticing, it was uncomfortable and tense. As his breath touched her skin with every sniff, Zofia found herself wanting to push him away. She had to fight the urge to do so.  
  
“Logan, please, you’re scaring me,” Zofia mumbled, but he didn’t seem to hear her.  
  
There was apparently no visible sign of blood anywhere on her or near her, but something was setting him off. But she didn’t know what.  
  
His hands gently ran down her back. The touch sent a chill up her spine, but it wasn’t one of his sensual touches.  
  
Logan seemed to tower over her in her Mind’s Eye, but like the world outside their cabin, the image of her lover was dark and grainy like trying to see an old time black and white film that someone had tried to restore after it was close to being destroyed.  
  
Her heart beat fast in her chest, almost painfully so, fear gripping at some part of her soul.  
  
“L-Logan,” as his hands traveled further down, Logan leaned closer to her, his breathing calm, but more bestial. Zofia was paralyzed with fear and yet some part of her was intrigued by this side of Logan. Their noses barely touched as he leaned in even closer. Zofia was almost ready to accept whatever kiss he would lay upon her lips when she heard the noise of his metal claws coming out.  
  
“Logan?” her voice squeaked with fear now as she felt the cool metal of the three blades pressing lightly against the skin on her side.  
  
The metal claws ghosted downwards as their lips met. It was a soft kiss at first, a ghost of a kiss really but the claws stopped. They lingered there on her hips as Logan nipped and bit softly at her lips, enticing Zofia to respond. Her lips parted, allowing him access to the inside. They’ve had kisses like this before but usually, Logan was more gentle, tender, not so…  
  
Intense. That was the word.  
  
Every kiss was making him lose his mind, making him give in to this urge, whatever this urge was. He always knew there was something dark inside of him, a beast, but could he control it or was it controlling him? With every kiss, his mind became blank and the urge took over, making him crave more than just stolen kisses. One hand slipped down her other side, resting there as the kisses became even more passionate. When he pulled away from the kiss, staring into her eyes, he smelled something wet and salty on her cheeks.  
  
Tears?  
  
She drew in shaky breaths, a sickening feeling creeping up on her again. She didn’t like how Logan was acting. But how could she snap him out of this without provoking this bestial side that had overtaken him?


	2. Yeah, I'd Rather be a Lover Than a Fighter 'cause all My Life, I've Been Fighting

Fangs glittered in the darkness as he smirked. Everything was going as planned. Just a small drop of his blood infused with the chemical on the windowsill. One whiff of it, maybe two, it would be more than enough to send the runt into a frenzy. He watched as the runt started becoming erratic, sniffing the air and making his way over to the blind mouse. His smirk grew as he watched, but despite the mouse being scared, the runt….  
  
_Fuck!_  A growl rumbled in his throat. So he would have to try something else to draw out the beast. That’s fine. He loved playing a game of Cat and Mouse with the Runt, but maybe he could use the Blind Mouse as bait this time. Maybe that will lure out the Runt’s inner beast. Smirking again, he walked off, disappearing back into the darkness.  _Tomorrow, Runt._  
  
\--  
It seemed like an eternity as they stared at each other. Zofia’s heart was still beating fast, her pulse racing, but it wasn’t out of excitement. It was out of fear and possibly confusion. She didn’t know whether or not Logan was still in that bestial bloodlust state of mind. And he didn’t know why she was shedding tears. Kissing and touching, these were the things they would do on an everyday basis, wasn’t it? But he could still smell fear coming off of her.  
  
Even though they had stopped kissing and he no longer had that feeling of bloodlust, there was still a strange primal urge. He heard her heartbeat returning to normal, but her body was still trembling. Was she cold? Logan leaned back close to kiss her once more, but he was greeted by her hand stopping him.  
  
“No, Logan.” Zofia said softly, “no more, please.”  
  
She was surprised at how shaky her voice was. But even more surprising was how she had touched his face to stop the bestial man from kissing her again. Despite him looking dark and grainy in her mind, Zofia knew exactly where to reach as she touched the side of his face. His metal claws were still pressed lightly into the side of her stomach, but it wasn’t in a threatening manner. Logan has never drawn his claws out on her. The only time Logan had ever used the adamantium claws in her presence was when he was cutting up vegetables or cleaning the dead corpse of a bird, fish, or some other animal so they could have it as a meal. Otherwise, he doesn’t use his claws.  
  
She held her hand to Logan’s cheek, “Please, Logan,” She whispered.  
  
Zofia felt Logan’s forehead resting against hers. She slowly reached with her free hand for the trio of claws pressed lightly into her stomach. She knew that if she wasn’t careful when touching the claws, they could cut her. Even one light touch could cut her. Logan proved that when they first met.  
  
He was having a nightmare of sorts and when she tried waking him up, he had woken up with a start and his claws popped out, barely pricking the palm of her hand when she was startled by them. While Zofia wasn’t scared of them (it wasn’t the weapons that killed people, it was the people behind the weapons), she did remain wary for awhile until Logan proved his bark was worse than his claws.  
  
He remembered seeing that look of fear on someone else’s face a long time ago. But who was it? All he could recall was a vague image. Long wavy red hair, green eyes. The girl, a woman opened her lips to speak but he couldn’t hear her. He could feel her fear, even smell it.  
  
The very same image of the woman appeared in Zofia’s mind and with it was the woman’s voice. She was calling out a name.  
  
“ _James! For the love of God, are ya alright, James?_ ”  
  
The woman sounded worried, scared even. In turn, Zofia felt the same, but she was more curious than anything. Was this woman from Logan’s forgotten past? Was his real name James and not Logan? So many questions were rising to the surface now. Maybe if she called Logan by this name, it’ll do something? She had to do something…  
  
Gripping one of the blades a little, Zofia finally allowed herself to relax (but only a little). She released the claw she had grabbed, only to place both hands on the sides of Logan’s face. Her touch didn’t startle him at all. In fact, he seems to relax at it. And then the name left her lips in a quiet whisper.  
  
“James.” the name made his heart jumped, his entire body tensed at hearing that long-forgotten name. it was as though his own heart had forgotten it.  
  
Seeing Logan's reaction to hearing the name, Zofia sat straighter, ignoring the fact that the adamantium claws of his left hand were still pointed at her side.  
  
"James, this is your name isn't it?" She asked softly. Her fingers caressed the sides of his face as she said this. "Is it the name you had from your forgotten life?"  
  
Logan blinked, his heart beating rapidly in his chest, the claws were beginning to recede back into the skin on the back of his hands. The red-haired woman was still in his mind, trying to call out to him, but her voice became Zofia's voice. A fog that had been over the forgotten memories of that distant past were beginning to disappear. Something inside of him tried to grasp at the memories, a name. The red-haired lass had a name, didn't she? But what was it?  
  
A growl of frustration erupted from the back of his throat, leaving his lips. Both sets of claws came out as he stood to full height, pulling away from Zofia.  
  
Zofia felt her vision of him becoming darker again, the enraged man lifting one curled fist. Just as he swung to slash at her, Zofia let out a scream, saying the first thing that came to her mind.  
  
"Logan, it's me, Zofia! Logan!"  
  
She almost thought she would be skewered by both sets of claws, but when she didn't feel any pain anywhere on her body, she opened her eyes, her Mind's Eye showing her what had happened. One of the blades stopped short of her face, barely touching the tip of her nose. Zofia hadn't realized that she had lifted her hands to shield herself. Her heart was threatening to burst from her chest, it was almost hard to breathe now with the fear gripping at her.  
  
As she looked at her lover, she saw fear in his eyes. This was the first time she saw that particular emotion in his eyes. It wasn’t just fear, it was sadness.  
  
He just stared at her, his chest heaving, pain stabbing at his heart, as he stood there with his claws pointed at her. He had almost killed her. He almost killed Zofia. The woman he loved.  
  
“Z-Zofia? What the….shit!” Logan retracted his claws, falling to his knees. “Zofia.”  
  
Zofia just threw herself at Logan, hugging him. “Thank God, you’re ok now!”  
  
Logan was caught off guard as she did this, burying her face into his chest, more tears streaming from her eyes.  
  
“Z-Zofia?” He asked in surprise. Logan placed a hand on the small of her back in case she would immediately jump back in fear and pretty much react like a normal human being would at seeing a Mutant.  
  
Screaming, calling the Mutants monsters, and immediately run away. But she didn’t.  
  
Zofia just squeezed him even tighter, holding onto him for dear life, as if she was scared he was going to disappear or something. He couldn’t quite make out what she was saying through her sobs and frantic tone, but he knew she had been scared, not of him, but for him.  
  
Logan allowed himself to wrap his arms around her and hold her in his lap, resting his chin on her head.  
  
“I’m sorry for scarin’ ya, Snowflake. I don’t know what came over me.” He whispered to her, stroking her hair. He doesn’t know how long they stayed like this but at some point, Zofia looked up at him.  
  
She gently grabbed both of his hands and placed them on her sides before leaning close to him and capturing his lips in a kiss. This time, she was willing and so was he. No urge, no bestial lust. Logan held her close and returned her kiss with an equal amount of passion and love she poured into her actions.  
  
\--  
A pounding sound went off in his head, or at least he thought it was. That very sound was what woke Logan up. His head throbbed a little as he opened his eyes, blinking against the sunlight coming from the still open bathroom window.  
  
Why was he in the bathroom?  
  
As this question go through his mind, a haze of confusion fogging up his brain, Logan started to sit up, only to be stopped by something heavy on his chest. Zofia was laying on top of him, her cheek resting right over his heart. And of course, everything felt a bit…  
  
Just why were they in the bathroom?  
  
Feeling Zofia shiver a bit and curled more into him without waking up, memories of last night came rushing back to him, but the pounding got louder and harder before Logan could pick up the sleeping Zofia and get her into their bed.  
  
“Zofia? Are you there? Open this door right now!” Came a familiar voice from the other side of the front door, accompanied by more knocking. “Zofia!”  
  
“Damn it,” Logan growled. It was Zofia’s uncle, and the last person he wanted to see right now, especially this early in the more---no, wait, it was two in the afternoon? A glance at the nearby clock on the wall of the bathroom confirmed it for him. Just why were they out for so long? Sure they had pretty much stayed up after Logan about his lost mind, but…  
  
Max’s sudden barking coming from the living area interrupted Logan’s thought process, snapping him back to reality. Logan heard the click of the door being unlocked (Well shit! This was Zofia’s cabin but her uncle was given a spare key as her  _primary caregiver_ \--but the bastard hadn’t been by to check on her in ages). Max’s frantic barking spurred Logan into action as he quickly placed the sleeping Zofia onto the ground before slamming the bathroom door shut, locking it, and turning on the shower just as he heard Zofia’s uncle come in.  
  
“Zofie?” Her uncle called out.  
  
Logan swore under his breath as he listened. He heard the man fussing over Max jumping at him in his usual excited manner. Yeah, Logan could picture it. The large pitbull-husky barking excitedly and just jumping up and down, trying to greet Zofia’s unwilling uncle as he came in. “Get down, you blasted dog!”  
  
He smirked at what he pictured in his mind, but then his smirk turned into a frown. He and Zofia were trapped in this bathroom with no way of getting clothing. Sure, Logan could walk out in his pants but Zofia walking out in his flannel shirt and her undies, even if the flannel was buttoned up all the way, Isaac would throw a fit over how immodest and disgusting she was being by parading around in the clothing.  
  
_Gotta think fast, Logan! Grab Zofia some clothing and get her dress but first…._  
  
“Zofia!” Her uncle called again, this time the man was more impatient.  
  
“She’s in the shower, Wells!” Logan yelled. After hearing a grumbling response from the man, Logan knelt down next to the sleeping Zofia. He gently shook her awake.  
  
“Zofia, wake up. Wake up, Snowflake.” His voice was just drowned out by the loud spray of the shower for anyone outside of the bathroom. Hearing his voice and feeling Logan shaking her lightly. He breathed a soft sigh of relief as Zofia began to stir. “C’mon,, Darlin’, you need to get up.”  
  
When she opened her eyes, everything in her Mind’s Eye looked foggy and kind of fuzzy. It felt hot in here. “Logan,” she mumbled, still feeling drowsy, “turn the fire down.”  
  
A chuckle escaped Logan’s lips but he just tapped her shoulder again before Zofia could close her eyes again. “Zofia, Isaac’s here and I highly doubt you wanna tell him we made love in the bathroom. You know how he’ll react to that.”  
  
Zofia finally sat up, snapping to attention at hearing her lover’s words.  
  
“Uncle Isaac is here?” Zofia felt her heart beating fast and hard in her chest as the first drop of anxiety started going through her. That’s one thing Logan hated about the man. Isaac Kenneth Wells brings out Zofia’s more anxious side. The man always has something to say about her relationship with him and Logan himself.  
  
“Yep and we ain’t got no clothes to change into. You can’t just go out as you are but I can so hop in the shower and I’ll get you some clothes.”  
  
Seeing that Zofia nodded, Logan quickly pulled on his sweatpants and splashed some water on his face before grabbing a towel. He waited until Zofia was in the shower before walking out with the towel across his shoulders.  
  
Isaac was standing in the middle of the room, having refused to sit down anywhere. Well-kempt brown hair, glaring green eyes, and a stern disapproving look on his face. It was hard to believe that Zofia was related to this man. Isaac was a tall man, towering over Logan at about 6 feet, but if it came down to it, Logan could take him in a fight. Not say Isaac couldn’t handle himself in a fight.  
  
Much like Zofia, he grew up in the mountains and had obviously done a lot of hard labor that gave him his strength, but Wolverine has had a lot of military experience and his time with the X-Men under his belt. But out of respect for Zofia, he would behave himself and be civil to her only blood-relation.  
  
“You were in the shower, too,  _Mr._  Logan?” His lover’s uncle asked. Logan raised an eyebrow at the man’s snarky tone but chose to ignore it.  
  
“Actually no, I was just finishing up when she came in," Logan replied a bit surly, but he smirked a bit at the unnerved look gracing Isaac's stern features. "Wanna hear what we did when she came in?"  
  
"No!" Isaac said loudly. the man cleared his throat, his hands clenching at his sides. "I mean, no, that is none of my business."  
  
_Damn straight it isn't._  Logan thought, but he kept himself from chuckling and just started for the bedroom area. "Let me get dressed and I'll get ya a drink, Isaac."  
  
Isaac just hmph’ed derisively, going back to staring bitterly at the interior of the cabin. He was quite surprised at how clean it was despite the company his niece kept. Max let out a yawn from his spot on the loveseat but the dog happily wagged his tail as he heard Logan’s movements from behind the curtain.  
  
“I see Zofia still has this blasted dog,” Isaac said aloud. Logan just rolled his eyes, pulling a shirt on and reaching inside the bottom drawer for a pair pant that wasn't sweatpants.  
  
“And why wouldn’t she still have him.” Logan found himself asking this despite knowing where the conversation was headed.  
  
“Oh because you know, Pitbulls being dangerous and wild,” Isaac said softly, glaring at Max.  
  
The dog just tilted his head at him, blinking.  
  
“Oh yeah, that goofball is totally dangerous and wild. He’ll definitely bite you when you’re not lookin’, he’ll even eat you.” Logan said sarcastically with a soft growl.  
  
“Precisely, you’ll never know when this beast will snap.” as he said this, Isaac stared at Max, who just stared back at him, wagging his tail. His hand reached inside the pocket of his pants. Gripping the handle of his pocket knife, Isaac took in a deep breath.  
  
He stood there, hesitating with the knife in hand. Sure the dog wasn’t dangerous and Isaac didn’t much like dogs in general, but if he could just get the damned abomination that defiled his niece out of her life, then he would be fine.  
  
“I’m sorry for this, dog.” He pulling the knife out of his pocket.


	3. Anger and Agony are Better Than Misery

The warmth of the shower water felt good against her cool skin even though she still felt groggy. Despite the haziness of the steam from the hot water clouding the vision in her Mind’s Eye, Zofia could still see Logan, her uncle, Isaac, and Max. And she also heard the conversation about Max’s dangerous appearance. Max wasn’t a beast and he wasn’t dangerous. She knew that. Logan knew that, and Isaac knew that. She knew who her uncle was really talking about. He was talking about Logan.

As she stood there, washing up, Zofia saw one of the figures of the two men going darker, becoming grainy, much like when Logan was in the bestial state of mind. She quickly turned the knob for the hot water to turn off, but before she could jump out, she heard Logan’s voice speaking to Isaac.

“You want some apple juice?” Logan asked, stepping out of their bedroom. Zofia quietly thanked whatever God exists for Logan stepping out in time for Isaac to stop whatever he was going to do.

Isaac quickly closed the pocket knife, concealing it in his hand as Logan came out with some of Zofia’s clothes. A pair of blue jeans, a light blue camisole, and a light gray sweater, and of course the obvious undergarments.

“You drink apple juice?” Isaac asked disbelievingly, staring at Logan in slight surprise.

Logan just laughed at this, in turn, it made Zofia giggle quietly from the bathroom. She had finally gotten out of the shower and had wrapped herself in a towel. All she was doing now was sitting here on the toilet, waiting for Logan.

“No, Zofia’s the one who drinks it. It’s for when she gets morning sickness.” Logan replied. He chuckled at this before going over to the fridge in the small kitchen and eating nook.

Isaac watched in bewilderment as Logan held onto Zofia’s clothes without dropping them with one hand and opened the door to the fridge, reaching inside for a bottle of his favorite Labatt Blue beer.

He then offered it to him.

“I’m sure you don’t want no apple juice, so you’d best take this instead.”

Zofia could easily imagine her uncle glaring at Wolverine in disdain. He’d normally take the beer from anyone else but one from a Mutant would be tainted in his eyes.

“No, thank you, I am not thirsty.” Her uncle replied coolly.

“Suit yourself.” Logan shrugged and with some finesse, he popped the cap off with a metal claw and took a swig of the beer before making his way over to the bathroom door. He knocked on the door, calling out to her. “I’m coming in, Snowflake.”

Zofia shuddered at the cooler air seeping in from the outside the bathroom as Logan stepped in. Max quickly jumped off the loveseat and ran after Logan and into the bathroom before the door could shut.

“Max?” Surprise was in Logan’s voice at seeing the white mutt slip in as he was shutting the door. The mutant shook his head. Of course, the mutt would come in. he must’ve been worried about Zofia. Logan chuckled at the thought as he placed Zofia’s clothes on the counter. He then glanced at her shivering. “You alright, Snowflake?”

Zofia nodded, hugging herself even more. “I just keep forgetting how cold it gets after a shower.”

Logan chuckled again. He leaned down and pecked her on the lips, one hand stroking the side of her face lovingly.

“You’ll warm up, I promise.”

A smile graced Zofia’s lips, but before she can reply, a knock came at the bathroom door.

“Do you and the dog really need to be in there with Zofia?” Came Isaac’s voice. Logan growled at this, glaring at the door. “Just what are you up to in there?”

“It’s none of your business, bub!” Logan yelled. He felt Zofia’s hand on his arm. That one touch caught his attention. Just staring into her eyes made him feel calmer.

“Tell him I’ll be out in a minute.” She said softly.

“Alright, but hurry before I make him into a shish kebab.” And with that said, Logan gave her one more kiss before walking out of the bathroom.

Isaac was staring at a picture that sat on the mantle over the fireplace. It was clear from the picture that Zofia had convinced Logan to take a picture with her and Max. For Logan looked a bit disgruntled but there was a small smile on his face as he sat there on the arm of the loveseat, one arm around Zofia and Max laying beside her. Zofia looked extremely happy, for, in another photo set in the frame’s second slot, Zofia had kissed Logan’s cheek. But one thing the man noticed was a pair of rings that Zofia and Logan wore in the picture.

“You got married?” Isaac asked in surprise.

Logan blinked, feeling confused by the other man’s words for a second. When his blue gaze fell on the pictures Isaac was staring at, he released the doorknob and smirked, coming up beside his lover’s uncle.

“No, not married. Just Engaged. I had asked Zofia to marry me that day and she wanted to take a commemorative picture.” Logan chuckled at the memory, one of his hands going back into his pocket as he took another drink of his beer.

“And when are you planning on getting married?”

Logan finally looked at his future uncle-in-law in surprise, there was a strange sadness in his voice. For a moment, Logan thought Isaac or Zofia were fucking with him but Zofia wouldn’t ever pull this kind of stunt. And she hadn’t talked with her uncle yet today. He turned his gaze back to the picture on the mantle, taking a second to collect his thoughts before answering.

“We were going to get married not long after I proposed to her, but with an unexpected pregnancy, Zofia wanted to put off the wedding until after the baby is born and with your blessing.”

Isaac stood there, his green eyes going down to the floor now. It was strange to hear how much his niece still trusted him, even after all the grief he must have been calling her. “You know, Logan,” the fifty-year-old man started after a minute of silence, “I never thought I’d see Zofia be happy again after my brother passed.”

Logan immediately looked at Isaac, eyeing the older looking man warily. Just why was Isaac acting so melancholic all of a sudden? He’s never mentioned Zofia’s dad, though Zofia had often spoken of him. But not Isaac. During the year and a half that Logan knew the man, Isaac only ever spoke of his disdain towards mutants and his disapproval of his relationship with his niece. A strange moment of companionable silence passed between the two before Logan finally spoke, remembering how highly Zofia spoke of her father.

“John sounded like a good man from Zofia tells me.” he said softly, “Up until he died, of course.”

Isaac chuckled at this. “So she told he was a good man, did she?”

This time, Isaac’s tone sounded a bit lower, almost angry. Logan noted the subtle change in the tone, feeling a somewhat creepy feeling entering his heart. But he was ready if Isaac stepped out of line.

“Yeah, why you know somethin’ I don’t?” Logan steeled himself for whatever mind fuckery Isaac was gonna throw at him. His old paranoia and instincts flickered in his soul, an itching feeling rising from feeling his claws wanting to burst out.

Isaac smirked at seeing the alert look in Logan’s eyes and chuckled again.

“I think this is a conversation for another time.” He said quietly. Zofia’s uncle took a few steps towards the door only to stop, “Let me just say this my brother wasn’t the man Zofia thinks he is.”

With that said, Isaac walked out of the cabin, shutting the door behind.

“What the hell was that all about?” Logan muttered. When he heard the bathroom door open, he turned around to look. Zofia was leaning against the door, her hand gripping the doorknob tightly. Just from the upset look on her delicate features, he knew she heard the whole conversation. “I guess you heard?”

Zofia nodded, her stomach clenching with nausea. “Every word.” She mumbled. The woman looked away, avoiding his gaze, sinking into her usual melancholic and thoughtful silence. It wasn’t until Logan sighed and finished off the bottle of beer, that she finally spoke. “Just because I didn’t know every aspect about my dad doesn’t mean he wasn’t a good man. My memories of him paint him as such.”

“I know, Snowflake,” Logan whispered. He finally stood straight, watching Zofia as she walked towards him. She stopped short of him and for once, Zofia stared straight into his eyes. He was clear in her Mind’s Eye, his aura calm, but far from peaceful.

“And just because I don’t know every single detail about you, doesn’t mean I love you any less, Logan.” Zofia reached for Logan, her hand going to his cheek. His eyes softened at feeling her hand on his cheek, “No one is perfect.”

Another chuckle. Logan held her hand against his cheek for a moment before leaning and kissing her.

“Your ability to see both the good and the bad within me is what makes me love you so much.”

The two of them laughed quietly before sharing another kiss and embracing.

\--  
She watched as people passed by the window of the coffee shop, couples, families, and various men and women on their way to and from work. This little mountain town was small but very busy. It had once been a mountain quarry, but after the turn of the last century, mining had become a thing of the past and now people just try and enjoy the charm of living in rustic log cabins. Only those who were born here in the mountains knew what surviving in the mountains really meant.

As Zofia sat there, enjoying the warmth of the tea that she drank and thankful for being inside instead of waiting for Logan to return out in the cold, she was unaware of someone coming up behind her.

“For the beautiful lady.” The familiar voice startled her as she looked up, and she saw a figure holding a small hand sized pink teddy bear plush with a white satin ribbon around its neck in front of her. Feeling a bit wary, Zofia turned her head to the direction of the person standing behind her. A tall smiling youth about her age with long black hair tied in a ponytail stood there. She could see an elongated tribal tattoo on the man’s left arm, at least what poked out of the sleeve of his jacket she saw that it was a tribal tattoo.

“Who?” It took a minute for the man’s cheerful dark almond eyes and his bright smile to register in her mind, a memory of someone just like him surfacing in her mind. “Akihiro?” Zofia whispered.

A wide grin spread on the man’s lips as he waved at her with a teddy bear in hand. “Hai, it’s me, Zofia-chan! Your favorite dragon.” his tone was teasing as he said this and Zofia couldn’t help the giggle erupting in her throat as her friend pressed the plush toy he held against her cheek, making a light kissing sound in the process.

“Aki-kun! What on Earth?” she finally took the small bear with a laugh as Akihiro took a seat in the chair next to her. “When did you come back?”

Akihiro just shrugged, the smile on his face. “I’ve been around for a while now.” He finally glanced around before flagging down a nearby waitress, who blushed with a giggle, batting her eyes at him as she took his order.

When the smitten waitress left, he turned his attention back to a smiling Zofia. “What? Did I do something wrong?” Akihiro asked, confusion in his eyes.

Zofia just giggled a bit as she picked up her mug, taking a sip out of it. “You just came in and already you’re charming the pants or should I say the skirt off of that waitress?” she smiled at sensing the blush coming from her old high school friend as she said that.

Akihiro rubbed the back of his head, blushing and smiling with a light chuckle. It’s not that he had charmed the waitress. It was part of his powers as a Mutant, but Zofia didn’t know that nor did she need to know. “What can I say? I’m a real charmer, it runs in the family.”

Zofia laughed at this, taking another sip of her tea.

“So where’s the ojiisan?” He asked, his tone light and playful.

Zofia just blinked in confusion at the last word. “Oh… ji… san?” She mused, trying to figure out the Japanese phrase.

“Your old man.” the Japanese man suddenly pointed to the ring on Zofia’s hand, making her squeak in surprise. “You are married now, right?”

Blushing furiously, Zofia quickly put her hand under the table, shaking her head. “O-Oh! N-no, not yet. We’re waiting until after the baby’s born.” She mumbled this, almost wishing Logan was here to explain everything.

Akihiro laughed a bit before suddenly stopping. He immediately stared at Zofia with wide eyes. “You’re pregnant?”

Her face felt hotter from blushing, but Zofia nodded. She brushed a strand of her hair out of her face as she nodded. “Yeah, we found out last month so we decided on holding off on getting married until after the birth.”

Akihiro smiled and gave the woman a congratulatory hug, “That’s really great! omedetō! Congratulations!” He had to admit despite his rough childhood, Akihiro couldn’t help feeling happy for his friend, but at the same time, a sliver of sadness entered his heart. But he ignored it.

“Thanks,” Zofia mumbled shyly but her face lit up with concern at sensing the small hint of bitterness in his aura. She looked at him, touching his arm gently. “Aki-kun? Is everything okay?”

Generally, Akihiro would slice anyone that touches him, but Zofia was a different case. Something about her made him feel calmer, happy.

Not wanting to worry his friend, the man smiled again and put a hand on Zofia’s cheek.

For a moment it seemed like he was going to kiss her, and the thought of Logan catching them in that situation (or like this with Akihiro cupping her cheek) made Zofia feel nervous, her heart beating fast now. Logan wasn’t a jealous man, after all, some of Logan’s bar buddies would playfully flirt with Zofia from time to time, but none of them ever looks at her like Akihiro was right now.

As Akihiro leaned in, Zofia could see something familiar about him. Something that reminded her of… Logan?

“So, who did you say the dad was?” Akihiro’s lips curled back into a mischievous grin.

Zofia felt herself trembling a bit as she felt his other hand going to the other side of her face.

“Logan, his name is Logan.” she felt her friend’s mood shift to surprise at hearing her answer and she smiled weakly, “Is something the matter?”

So the old man is alive and marrying Zofia-chan? He couldn’t quite explain why he felt so angry all of sudden. He wasn’t jealous, Akihiro never saw Zofia as a girlfriend. She was more like a little sister that he felt the need to protect. And if the rumors about his dear old dad were true, he definitely had to do something about her. He finally focused his attention on Zofia and smiled again.

“Tell me, Zofia-chan. Does this Logan love you? Does he take care of you?” His voice was a bit cold and sharp as he said this. Akihiro even leaned more, still holding onto Zofia’s head.

“Y-yeah, of course, he does. Why would he be with me if he didn’t?” the 26-year-old woman clenched her hand in her lap now. Akihiro was getting uncomfortably close. “Aki-kun?”

Just from how he was holding the sides of her face, gently stroking the skin on her cheeks reminded her of her lover.

“And where is he now?” Of course, Akihiro knew where he was. He saw Logan out of the corner his eye.

“He’s just acr-mmph!”

As soon as he saw Logan exiting the shop across the street with a white dog following him, Akihiro pulled Zofia closer. Their lips collided with Akihiro initiating the kiss.The kiss sent a mixture of different emotions through Zofia’s mind and body. There was that initial shock of being kissed, anger, and then intrigue. It felt like Logan was kissing her, only the kiss was more intense, even more so than when a bestial Logan had kissed her.

“Zofia?” Came Logan’s voice as Akihiro pulled out of the kiss. Logan’s voice made Zofia gasp and before Akihiro had a chance to smile and say something, he was greeted by the hardest slap he’s ever felt in his life, even more so than when one of his foster mother’s servants had slapped him.

Logan watched in astonishment as Zofia ran off after slapping the kid that had kissed her. But as she ran by him, he saw fear, anger, and pain in her eyes as they looked at each other, but Logan let her go. He had to deal with this mohawked bastard.


	4. I'm Frightened by What I See

“That smarts.” Akihiro rubbed his face with a frown. In all honesty, he didn’t mean to upset Zofia. It’s just that when he heard it was Logan she was engaged to, he just let the ghosts of his past take over and then this whole mess happened. And plus he had to put on a show, or else that man would have jumped in and killed him and Zofia.

“If you think her slapping you smarts, just wait until I cut you to ribbons, bub!” The angry gruff voice and the sound of metal claws made Akihiro look up. He saw Logan baring his teeth, his claws out as his hands curled into fists. He was ready for a fight and Akihiro had pissed off the Wolverine.

Well fu--

The Japanese-Canadian Mutant found himself pinned down by his father, the adamantium blades at his throat. Logan growled, pressing both sets of his metal claws to the younger man’s throat.

“Give me one fucking reason why I shouldn’t gut you like a pig and let you see your intestines and heart before you die?”

Akihiro just laughed weakly, trying his best to not let the claws dig into his throat. Sure he would heal right away, but Logan didn’t know that. “Because bub, there are worse assholes than me out there.”

Logan smirked at this as he glared at the bastard. “You’re right, but right now, you’re the bastard I want to kill right now. So,” he snarled, “What the hell were you doing kissin’ my girl?”

The two men stared each other down, glaring daggers. Many of the people nearby, watched and looked on curiously as they did. Many of them knew Logan. They knew that he was a Mutant, but they never feared him or despised him for it. But it did surprise many of the townspeople to see him pull his claws out on someone like this. It was rare that he did so.

One of the spectators, a somewhat looking older man with glasses and wearing an apron over his clothing, approached the two men. It was the coffee shop owner and chef, Murray. “Logan, is there anything wrong?” Murray’s voice was a bit startled, nervous even as he looked between Logan and the younger man he had pinned down. “I saw Miss Zofia run away and then this.” He gestured to Logan and Akihiro.

“Don’t worry about it, Murr. This punk,” Logan quickly retracted his claws, only to grab him by the front of his jacket. “He upset Zofia, but I’m gonna take care of him. So, don’t worry about it.”

Akihiro gave a startled yelp as Logan pulled him to his feet, dragging him by his ponytail. “Ow, watch the hair!”

Another of the town residents clucked their tongue, shaking their heads. “That boy oughta know not to mess with another man’s woman, especially Logan’s girl.”

\--  
Zofia found herself in the nearby bookstore, having finally run until she was out of breath. The warmth of the bookstore wrapped around her as she walked in the door. No one was at the front desk, they were in the back most likely. Not that she really cared. The less people to see her cry the less embarrassing it would be.

Her chest heaved, almost painfully as she tried to regain her breath, both her thoughts and her pulse was racing. Just why did she run away in the first place? All she knew was that hearing Logan calling her name just made her scared and knowing he had seen Akihiro kiss her, it just felt…

Confusing.

And why did Akihiro kiss her like that? He was always a charmer, had a way with just giving someone a flirty look or that devilish smile and almost everyone would be under his spell, but not Zofia. Akihiro had often playfully teased and flirted with her, but he never did this. And speaking of that kiss…

Why did it remind her of when a bestial minded Logan had kissed her? That kiss was intense, a bit scary, yet intriguing. Was that part of Akihiro’s charm working on her or was it her imagination?

Zofia just buried her head in her hands, slowly sinking to the ground as she leaned against a nearby bookshelf. Just why did these feelings have to be so damned complicated?

\--  
He smirked from his hiding spot, kneeling down as he watched the scene from below. The Mongrel had done his part, now it’s his turn. Time to lure out the Runt’s inner beast via the little Mouse. Finally standing up, he started climbing down the wall of the building. He was only halfway down when he jumped, landing on the ground. A few people looked startled at the large bestial blonde man but he didn’t give a fuck. He sneered at the people and growled before walking off towards the bookshop where the Mouse ran off to.

\--  
Once they were well out of the sight of any possible spectators, Logan shoved Akihiro up against the wall, pinning him there. He unsheathed his claws once more and placed them at the bastard’s throat.

“Start talkin’, tell me why you kissed Zofia and how you know her?” He growled.

Despite their height differences, Akihiro could see why his father was intimidating. His cold steel blue eyes glaring at him like a wild animal about to go in for the kill. It almost made him feel happy that this bestial side of him was one more thing they had in common. Akihiro looked down at him and smirked, “We’re old schoolmates, from high school. And I kissed her to tease her a bit.”

It was Logan's turn to feel a bit amused.

“That kiss looked more serious than a playful one!"

"Yeah? Well, what can I say?" Akihiro began, glaring back at him as he curled his hands into fists, "I'm just like my old man!"

Logan heard the sound of something sharp being unsheathed. He looked down in surprise to see two metal blades on the back of Akihiro's hands and one coming out his wrist. He then looked at Akihiro. "Just the who hell are you?"

\--  
All was quiet in the bookstore, a little too quiet, as she sat here, trying to collect her thoughts. Zofia half wished that Logan had run after her instead of just letting her go. No, she wished he had stopped her and asked her what was wrong. Most likely he was pummeling Akihiro right now.

“That stupid jerkface. He’s so stupid.” She sniffled, wiping at her face. The images in her mind’s eye looked so fuzzy and grainy. Then again, she couldn't pay any attention to anything when her feelings were mixed up or when her mind was full of confusing thoughts. Breathing in deeply, Zofia willed herself to calm down. It wasn’t until she heard footsteps that she realized the bookstore was empty, though it wasn’t dark.

“Logan?” She called. When she didn’t get an answer, Zofia reached for something to pull herself up when her hands brushed against something warm and soft. The touch made her shiver as a figure appeared in her mind’s eye. “Logan?”

The figure sneered, showing off the tips of its fangs.

“Sorry, mouse. Wrong person.” The voice sounded deep and gruff, but it was even more animal-like than Logan sounded.

Chills ran up Zofia’s spine as the memories of the other night returned, along with the image of the bestial figure that had stood underneath the Redwood outside her and Logan’s home.

“Who, who are you?” the blind girl asked, her heart started racing again, her stomach churning.

The man just smirked. He flexed his hand, his long claws visible on his fingers. “You can say I’m an old friend of the Wolverine. The name’s Sabertooth.”

Sabertooth? Wolverine? Zofia vaguely remembered Logan mentioning his time as a member of a group of Mutants called the X-Men, and of someone named Sabertooth, but….

Feeling even more ill at ease she slowly reached behind her to the nearby bookshelf. “R-really? T-That’s nice.” She mumbled.

From what she remembered, Logan had said Sabertooth was bad news and her gut feelings seemed to agree with that notion.

Sabertooth smirked, a grumbling laugh erupting in his throat as he took a step closer. The blind woman before him was fumbling with finding a weapon. Oh if she comes up with something, he’d let her land the first lick. He wasn’t a complete bastard after all.

“Looking for something to fight me with, Mouse?”

The way Sabertooth made Zofia feel ill and creeped out. She swore inwardly as her hands felt nothing, but hardwood floor covered by carpet. Just for once why couldn’t Mrs. Robinson leave a few books on the floor? At least if she could throw one book at this monstrous man, the pain of being hit by a book might distract him long enough for her to run off, but no. This week has been one big nightmare after the other.

He smelled the fear coming from her. This was going to be fun.

“Your man isn’t here to save you from the boogie man now, little girl.”

He was right up on her now.

Zofia just looked up at him, the fear beginning to burn through her. The dark figure became a tall man, one that was blonde and wild looking. He looked even more like a wild animal than Logan was, but what she thought was scary, wasn’t. Intimidating? Yes.

“I’ve seen scarier beasts than you.”

“Oh really?” Sabertooth laughed at hearing the false bravado, he could see her trembling. As he reached out for her, a growling met his ears.

\--  
He let out a snarl as he brought up his hand against Logan’s stomach, his metal claws raking through the clothes and flesh.

Logan grunted in pain, flinching as he felt Akihiro’s metal claws enter him. Sure he couldn’t die, at least not so easily, but that still hurt like a bitch. With the pain spreading through his lower stomach, Logan growled, his own claws coming out as he released Akihiro.

“Tell me who you are!” Logan snarled, as his claws landed in to the brick wall behind Akihiro, the sharp edges catching Akihiro’s cheek.

Akihiro snarled lowly, baring his teeth at him.

“I’m the son of the woman you killed.” Akihiro growled as he bared his teeth. His own blue eyes glittered with malice.

Logan’s heart jumped and for a second, confusion could be seen on his face.

“What woman?” he asked. “I don’t remember killing any lady, bub!”

Before Akihiro could respond, a loud barking sounded nearby and for once, both men looked over to see a white male pitbull-husky barking frantically at them or more specifically at Logan. The dog whined.

“What’s with the mutt?” Akihiro said, watching the dog whimpering and barking. To his surprise, Logan retracted his claws and pulled away, grunting in pain as he pulled out of Akihiro’s claws. His father than walked over to the dog and reached out for him.

“It’s Zofia’s dog, Max.” Logan glared at the other man before petting the said dog.

Max just pulled away and barked. He disappeared around the corner for a few seconds before running back to him.

The dog is tripping. Akihiro thought but when Logan stood up, Akihiro saw him walk away with the dog.

“Wait, where are you going?” He asked.

Logan stopped in his tracks and glared at him. “I’m going after Zofia, apparently you were right.There are worse assholes in this town right now. Get your ass in gear and let’s go rescue her.”

\--  
Zofia shrieked as Sabertooth swiped at her. In her panic, she kicked him in the shins as hard as she could. He barely flinched at her kicking him. Instead, the Mutant man just smiled in amusement and made another swipe at her. She was in a panic at this moment and all she could do was fight back blindly while trying to get away from the crazy beast of a man called Sabertooth. Just how did he become that wild?

He wasn’t going to kill the little mouse, not yet. The runt still had to come so he can kill her before his very eyes. How satisfying that’ll be and then the runt’s inner beast will be unleashed.

Sabertooth slowly walked towards her once more, he already allowed her to run a little bit, but as much as he wanted to draw out their playtime, he was getting a little tired of waiting for the runt. He knew the boy wouldn’t be want to lose to the runt, but they had to play their roles. The boy’s role? Be roughed up the runt then let the runt run to the mouse’s aid and Sabertooth would take care of the rest.

“So, mouse, how do you wanna die?” His tone came out in an amused growl, he couldn’t help the adrenaline going through him. The killer in him was enjoying this game of cat and mouse.

Zofia just breathed in deeply, everything was happening too fast and she couldn’t think straight. The flight or fight instincts was battling inside of her. One part of her wanted to keep running, but the other part wanted to say fuck it and fight. And then there was the third part of her, a much smaller part, the part that wanted to Logan to come to rescue her.

“Logan,” She whimpered. As the brown haired woman closed her eyes and curled her hands against her head, waiting for Sabertooth to kill her, her head started to throb. A flipping sensation in her stomach made her want to throw up, but fear had her glued to the spot, waiting for her death. It was at this point her heart beat rapidly in her ribcage and with it, a sharp pain in her hands. It felt like a knife was pushing through her skin.

A familiar sweet spicy scent met Sabertooth’s nose and he sniffed before looking down. His eyes widened in surprise at seeing what looked like boney spikes poking out of the back of Zofia’s hands and droplets of blood streamed from where the spikes were coming out.

Another Wolverine in the makings? He thought, but before he could do anything, he heard a loud growl.

Everything felt painful, almost like it was burning, as she sat there. Another whimper left her lips but as the pain intensified, Zofia heard a voice whispering in her mind.

I’ll protect you.

And with that, Zofia felt something burst within her like electricity coursing through her.

Sabertooth found himself letting out a painful growl as the large glass paned windows at the front of the bookstore shattered, Logan and Akihiro both bursting through the windows and lunging at Sabertooth, their metal claws sinking into his body. Sabertooth just growled and snarled, quickly whipping his body around to swipe at the two men that attacked him.

As if they were in sync, Logan and Akihiro both retracted their claws and pushed themselves away from Sabertooth. Both father and son landed nearby.

When he stood straight, Logan saw Zofia curled on the ground, obviously in pain and the smell of blood met his nose. Of course, Sabertooth was bleeding from his and Akihiro’s claws, but the other scent of blood. Logan sniffed again and this time, he looked at Zofia again.

“Zofia!” Logan started but he glared at Sabertooth, “Creed.”

Blood running down his the side of his neck, Sabertooth stood tall and sneered at his rival. “Logan. I see you met my new partner in crime.” The man laughed as Akihiro snarled back at him. “Isn’t that right, Daken?”

“We’re not partners, old man!” Daken growled, glaring darkly at Sabertooth, “We never were!”

“But you were hired for the same job as me, and that was to get rid of Wolverine.”

Logan got into his fighting stance, his claws coming back out, as Sabertooth started walking towards them, cracking his knuckles.

“I heard the whole story on the way here, Pops; but I wanna know what the hell you did to Zofia!” Wolverine snarled, but before he could say anything else, Zofia stood up.

Sabertooth grinned that bestial smirk, glancing back at the said woman. “I didn't do a thing. Just see for yourself that she’s fine.”

She felt like she was asleep, but she was aware of what was going on. While she wasn’t fully in control of her body, whatever controlling her body didn’t feel evil or dangerous. In fact, it felt comforting.

“Zofia-chan?” Daken whispered in shock, his eyes widening in surprise. Zofia’s eyes were glowing a faint purple, but the pupils were smaller, almost like that of a wild animal. “Logan!”

Logan saw Zofia as well. Surprise graced his face as his blue gaze traveled to his fiance’s hands. There he saw the claws sticking out of the back of her hands. Just what the hell happened?

Zofia let out a loud growl as she lunged for Sabertooth. Her new claws sank into the tall man’s side as she knocked him to the ground.

Her bone claws didn’t hurt nearly as much as Logan’s adamantium claws, but the pain still made Sabertooth let out a painful cry. Growling angrily, Sabertooth ignored the throbbing of his wounds as he grabbed Zofia around the neck.

“Creed!” Logan snarled, “Let her go, I’m the one you want, not her!”

His heart beat painfully in his chest, fear and worry for his lover growing as he watched Sabertooth pin her to the ground, his large hand squeezing her neck.

“I’ll deal with you in a minute, Logan!” Sabertooth leaned in close to Zofia, squeezing harder. “This mouse has pissed me off now!”

Pain bursted through Zofia’s head and backside and she suddenly found it hard to breathe. She grabbed onto Sabertooth’s arm, frantically scratching at it to release her. Everything seemed to be growing hazy and her mind was going blank, but as she looked just behind Sabertooth, something white appeared.

\--  
Max whimpered and whined, tugging at his leash. His mistress’s stupid mate just had to tie him up in order to keep him safe, but wasn’t it a dog’s job to do the protecting? A squeaky whine built up in the back of the white dog’s throat and he tugged again, but Logan had tied the other end real tight to the metal pole.

“Awe, what’s wrong, boy?” asked a friendly voice as a hand stroked his head. Max looked up to see a woman, just out of her teenhood, kneeling next to him. Sympathy was in her eyes as she scratched under his chin. “You missing your human parents?”

Her eyes lit up at seeing the tags on the dog’s collar. The front of the first tag, read Max and when she flipped it over to the other side, she saw the information regarding who to contact if he was lost. But the names of the owners read, Zofia & Logan.

Logan as in Wolverine? She thought. Her eyes narrowed a bit but the woman looked the dog in the eyes. She could tell he was an intelligent.

“Say, pupster, your Logan wouldn’t happen to be a wild looking man, would he?” She asked, falling back as Max barked excitedly and whined, tugging at the leash. “I don’t know who Zofia is, but Logan must be in some serious trouble if you’re getting this excited.”

The black haired girl stood up and aimed a finger at the knot on the end of the leash that connected it to a nearby lamppost, feeling her powers building up in her finger. “Hold still, Pup. I’ll have you free quicker than you can say, ‘Woof,’”

Having said that, what looked like a white spark of fire flew from her finger and burned the leash from the pole, disappearing upon contact. It was then that Max barked, immediately going down the street.

“Hey, wait for me!” The girl quickly took after him, “This dog better be yours, Logan or else, I just stole some poor couple’s pet.”


	5. I'm Afraid You'll Have to Suffer Through Some of My Mistakes

“Whoa! This place is such a mess!” Jubilee couldn’t believe her eyes as she and Max arrived at the bookstore. From what she could see the books and whatever else was scattered as if someone had been trying to throw books in self-defense, and broken glass laid on the floor. Four people could be seen just inside the store. Before Jubilee even think of going in, Max barked and jumped through broken windows. “Hey! Pup, get back here!”

Hearing the barking and snarling, Logan looked back at the window, “Max?”

To his surprise, Jubilee and Max came running through the window. Max immediately leaped at Sabertooth, his fur bristling and a menacing growl building up in his throat.

Sabertooth let out what must have been the millionth painful howl in his life as the dog’s teeth sank into his shoulder, making the pain from where Logan and Daken had stabbed him there earlier even worse. He’s definitely wasn’t going to heal quickly tonight. Snarling, the beast-like mutant reached behind him for the dog.

Logan growled and took a step towards his mortal enemy when a series of popping sounds accompanied by bright sparks shot from behind, hitting Sabertooth in his face.

“Don’t mess with the dog, you furry yeti!” Jubilee yelled.

The force of Jubilee’s fireworks made Sabertooth release Zofia as he grabbed his face in pain, stumbling backward. In one quick motion and without thinking, Logan instinctively swung his leg out to kick the stumbling mutant away from both Max and Zofia while catching the said dog in his arms.

Jubilee kept up her attack until Sabertooth staggered on his feet, bumping into a nearby bookshelf. All the books came crashing on top of the stunned mutant as Daken sliced through one of the shelving boards on the shelf, the force of gravity pulling the books down.

Logan just rolled his eyes at seeing the wolfish smirk on his son’s face.

“What? I did my part.” Daken said with a shrug.

“Whatever, bub,” Logan grumbled. He then looked over at the cheering Jubilee.

“One for the X-Men, zilch for the bad guys!” Jubilee cheered but she immediately stopped at seeing Logan staring at her. The Chinese girl just grinned shyly, giving a small wave to her old friend. “Oh, hi, Logan.”

Logan released the whining Max, avoiding the dog’s licks as he sighed. “Jubilee, not that I’m not glad to see you again, but what are you doin’ here, kid?”

Jubilee just gave one of her side of the mouth coy smiles and shrugged. “Oh you know, saving your butt and tracking you down with your dog.” She suddenly stopped and glanced at Max again. “That is your dog, right?”

“Yeah, he is, well, he’s Zofia’s… Zofia!” Logan quickly came to Zofia’s side, but Zofia opened her eyes before he could touch her. “Zofia, you okay, Darlin’?”

There had been a painful pressure on her neck, cutting off her air supply, but just as she thought she was going to die at Sabertooth’s hands, the pressure on her throat disappeared. The pain had all but faded as a soft warm feeling built up in her back and neck. When she opened her eyes she saw him staring down at her, his hands gently cradling her as he picked her up.

“Logan?” Zofia said tiredly. Confusion was in her eyes as she tried to sit up in his arms, but Logan held her close, gently crushing her to his body. The act made Zofia gasp, the scent of pine trees, firewood, and cigars greeting her nose and the warm feelings of being safe and loved enveloping her as Logan did so. Tears fell from her eyes, landing on his shirt as she buried her face into his chest and cried.

“It’s ok, Zo, you’re safe now, Darlin’.” He said softly, rubbing her back gently. Logan kissed the top of Zofia’s head before speaking to Jubilee, “Jubilee, did you come here alone?”

The Mutant girl shook her. “No, Storm and Rogue are on standby.”

Just as she said that a voice crackled from the small X emblem on Jubilee’s jacket.

“Jubilee, you there, Sweet Pea? Did you locate Logan?” Asked Rogue through the flashing X.

Jubilee pressed down the button and spoke, “Yeah, I spotted them. Just bring the blackbird to the middle of town.”

“Alright, Sugah. We’ll be there shortly.”

“Well, now what?” Daken asked as they sat there in the middle of the ruined store.

“What do you mean ‘now what?’” Logan asked as he glanced at Zofia now fast asleep in his arms. She had cried until she fell asleep.

“What’s going to happen with Sabertooth there?” His son asked. “I mean, are we really going to leave him here?”

“No, we’re going to invite him to a tea party at the Institute.” Logan rolled his eyes before looking down back Zofia. “If anything, we’re gonna drop him in the middle of the woods somewhere.”

“Oh, right then once he finds his way back to civilization, he’ll come looking for you and Zofia again.” Daken said just as sarcastically, “Makes perfect sense. We should kill him right here and now.”

Jubilee squeaked at seeing two metal claws coming out of the back of Daken’s hand and one coming out of his wrist. “Oh, my god! You have metal claws too?”

The son of Wolverine just smirked, showing his resemblance to his father, “Like father, like son.”

Again Logan rolled his eyes before glaring at the Japanese male. “Put those things away before you poke someone’s eyes out.”

Daken let out a sigh, retracted his claws back. “Alright, but I do think we should kill Sabertooth so he won’t come after you and Zofia-chan again.”

“Zofia?” Remembering the name from Max’s collar, Jubilee walked up to Logan and bent down next to him. “Is this Zofia?”

“Yep, I’d introduce ya, but she’s out like a light right now.” Jubilee’s friend replied. Logan brushed some hair out of Zofia’s face as he said this. But before he could say anything else, he heard the faint sound of the blackbird’s engine and when he looked over to the broken windows, he saw the blackbird coming towards them.

“Daken, think you can carry Creed? Jubilee, get the dog. Our ride is here.”

\--  
“Man, Wolverine, I never thought you were livin’ with such a pretty gal all this time,” Rogue said in slight surprise as the group entered the Blackbird. She watched from beside the opening as Logan placed Zofia into a chair and buckled her up.”So how’d you two lovebirds meet?”

Logan just chuckled at this question, a small smile on his face. “Let’s just say she saved my life out there in the mountains and gave me a lotta peace and quiet.”

Rogue giggled quietly at this. She was always a sucker for romantic stories. With a smile on her lips, she walked up to her old friend and squeezed his shoulder. “Well, I’d say you found yourself quite the gal, sugah.”

“Ya got that right,” Logan smirked, but then he frowned a bit as Max came running up the ramp leading into the X-Jet, chasing Daken, carrying Sabertooth.

“Hey! Stop that before I slice you in half, you damn dog!” Daken glared at the pitbull-husky dog, as the dog jumped and tried snapping at Sabertooth.

“Max. Sit!” Logan ordered and on command, the dog immediately sat down on his haunches, still glaring at the unconscious Sabertooth slung across Daken’s shoulders. Logan than glared at his son. “And Daken, don’t ever threaten Max again. Now throw Sabertooth in the cargo hold and get buckled up so we can leave this place before he comes back around.”

Once Daken threw the unconscious mutant into the Blackbird’s cargo hold, he begrudgingly sat down in one of the nearby chairs and crossed his arms. “Still don’t understand why the dog has to come along.” He muttered but a glare from Wolverine made him look away from him, feigning innocence.

“Is everybody ready?” Storm asked from the front of the X-Jet. When everyone was buckled and seated, the weather witch pressed a few buttons on the control panel, the presses sparking life into the engine of the plane once more. Once the engine started, the Blackbird took off for its destination.

\--  
Everything was dark, only the faint outlines of the landscape were all that she could see as she walked through the eerie darkness. And all the while, a dark blue wolf led the way through the inky blackness of her dream. The violet glow of its eyes looking back at her once in a while. She didn’t know how long she had been walking, but it didn’t alarm her. After all, it was just a dream, wasn’t it? And nothing could ever hurt her in a dream, right?

The wolf finally led her to the foot of a hill where once she stopped, the wolf suddenly growled. The growl that came out of its mouth startled Zofia, but there was nothing she could do. As much as she tried to reach out to comfort the wolf, she couldn’t. Something had frozen her to her spot. All she could do was look on and watch as rain suddenly started pouring down out of nowhere.

The first drop of rain made the woman look up to the peak of the hill and what she saw made her feel cold with fear. A large tiger-like beast stood atop the hill, growling lowly, its green eyes glaring coldly at the wolf. The “tiger” hard some large fangs coming from the top lip as it growled, baring its teeth at the wolf.

The wolf lifted its head. Opening its jaws, a loud rumbling howl erupted from its throat. The wolf’s cry sounded like thunder and the tiger yelled out a snarl in response as it suddenly leapt from the top of hill, but instead of jumping at the wolf, it lunged for Zofia.

Zofia felt the wind being knocked out of her as the tiger seemed to go through her rather than attack her. But as the tiger had gone through her, a scream sounded out of nowhere.

\--  
She woke up with a start, the scream from her dreams coming from her. The vision in her mind’s eye was a bit blurry and fuzzy as she opened her eyes. A painful stabbing sensation in her stomach greeted as she sat up. Zofia couldn’t help crying out in pai, her hand going to her stomach. She saw a blue furry figure approaching her in her mind’s eye as she doubled over.

“Are you ok, Zofia?” A pair of hands with what felt like long fingernails and a lot of hair gently held onto her shoulders. “Just take deep breaths and slowly lay back down.”

Zofia couldn’t help listening to the calm voice as the hands pressed her down onto the bed she was laying on. Her breaths turned from painful and rapid to slow and calm, the pain slowly going away within a few minutes.

Once the pain disappeared, Zofia opened her eyes again. She found her Aural vision was clear now. And with it she saw she was in a lab and infirmary area. Fluorescent lights tiled ceiling and of course what look liked a somewhat complex computer system. The blue furred man standing next to didn’t seem to phase Zofia at all. If Logan in bestial mode didn’t scare her then seeing this blue furred man didn’t either.

But one question popped into her mind. Well three, but only one of those questions left her lips before she could think of saying it.

“Who are you?”

The blue mutant chuckled a bit, tucking the book he was reading under his arm before answering her.

"My name Dr. Henry McCoy. My friends call me, 'Hank,' and of course, my mutant name is Beast." the mutant gauged Zofia's reaction to his answer. Oddly enough, Zofia didn't seem startled by that either. But she still looked a bit dazed, confused. "if it helps, I am a friend of Logan's."

Hearing her lover's name caught the woman's attention and she finally sat up again, without much any sign of pain. Zofia looked at Hank with a hopeful look. "Is he around and..."

For the first time since she was last awake, Zofia finally realized she wasn't home. "No, I think the bigger question is, where am I?"


	6. Should My Tender Heart be Broken

“So we’re at a school for Mutants?” Zofia asked this almost, more or less to herself as she sat there on the examination table, her mind trying to process all that had happened within the past week. She felt Hank’s hands slowly going along her arm as he checked her over for any injuries. His hands touching her sides made her squirm a bit, making Zofia suppress a giggle forming in her throat.

“More or less, yes,” Hank replied softly. He looked up at seeing Zofia squirm and hearing her suppressed giggle. “Ticklish?”

Her face turned pink at hearing the mutant doctor’s kind words. Hank just chuckled at this, imagining the mischievous smirk that graced Logan’s lips as Logan found out Zofia’s ticklish spot, he knew Wolverine would set out to find out how much he can make the woman giggle and squirm, to see how ticklish she is. But what Hank didn’t know was that Logan had already made the discovery and he really enjoyed being the tickle monster to Zofia.

Thinking about being tickled by Logan made her thoughts shift to what Akihiro had done before she was attacked by Sabertooth and the woman instinctively pulled away from Beast, her hand slipping out of his. This action somehow didn't surprise Hank. It just made him feel curious.

"Was your hand ticklish, too?" Hank's tone was a bit playful but seeing the pained look on the blind woman's face, he stroked his chin, "Or did it hurt?"

Zofia quickly shook her head, her eyes going wide in surprise. Hank could only guess she didn't realize she pulled away.

"I-I'm sorry, I..."

“No, it’s ok. You must be feeling very unsettled after what happened.” Beast said softly. He smiled at her before walking over to his computer panel. “I’ll just see if Logan is in.”

Zofia watched, stunned as the blue-furred mutant pressed one of the many buttons on the panel. Now that she was calmer, she could see he wore a belt with an X logo on the buckle and of course a pair of black…. Spandex underwear? She could only guess being covered in blue fur kept him warm enough and that he really didn’t need any clothing, but still….

“Ah so, Logan and Daken went out did they?” She heard him say. The knot in her stomach tightened, the nauseous feeling returned, as she heard Hank say this. Just why did that make her feel worse all of sudden? She felt Hank’s eyes on her as she sat up, but he didn't push her back down. Then again the pain she felt before had disappeared. Hank nodded. “Alright then send someone down with the dog and something for Zofia to eat, I believe our guest is getting hungry and she could use a familiar face.”

Somehow hearing Max’s name made her feel less anxious and Zofia finally spoke, not wanting to be caught sitting in an awkward silence. “Logan’s not here?” She asked.

Hank nodded with a frown. "I'm afraid our dear Wolverine decided to get some things for you. He claimed you needed apple juice?"

A blush rose on Zofia's cheeks, imagining Logan grumbling to no one in particular about getting some apple juice and a few other things for her. Out of nowhere, a giggle left her lips and she just buried her face into her hands, the giggling getting louder.

"Zofia?" Hanks asked in confusion. Her whole body shook from the laughter, her chest heaving from every breath she took and expelled. "Are you alright?"

"I, I was so stupid!" Zofia wheezed with another giggle, but with the next breath came a choked sob that got caught in the back of her throat. Hank saw tears and he immediately walked to the crying woman.

"You weren't stupid, you aren't stupid," Hank whispered, but Zofia flinched from his hand on her shoulder.

"Of course, I was, I ran away from Logan after Akihiro kissed me. I was afraid he would be angry with me."

Hank placed his hand back on Zofia's shoulder, giving it another squeeze. "I'm sure Logan wasn't angry at you. From what I hear, you're all Logan talks about, I think he was more worried about you than angry."

The doors slide open and a voice spoke. "Jeez, Hank, I knew you looked a bit scary, but I didn't think you could make them cry, too."

When Hank looked over he saw a tall brown haired woman with white streaks in her hair, her green eyes seeming to sparkle with playfulness. "I didn't make her cry, I was just reassuring her."

Rogue just chuckled and placed a hand on her friends shoulder as she came in with a tray of food with her other hand. "I was just teasin', Hank. I know you didn't make her cry. The Gal's probably just missin' Logan. Ain't that right, Zofia?"

Zofia tensed at hearing the new woman call her by name. From what she could see, the woman was tall and really strong but the woman's aura was just a bit muddled. It was as though she was multiple people at once. But when she focused her aural vision, Zofia finally lowered her hands and was able to see her. She was able to see the entire layout of the mansion that was the Xavier Institute. It felt massive in her mind with all the rooms above and below ground level, but like with having seen Dr. McCoy she didn't seemed too phased by it.

"Who? Who are you?" Zofia asked as the woman placed the tray in front of her.

The woman smiled, her tone friendly as she answered, "the name's Rogue, and I believe there's someone who wants to see you. A handsome fellow with white fur and beautiful blue eyes?"

Zofia's skipped a beat at hearing this, a name slipped from her lips. "Max?"

Just as she said that she heard a familiar bark and a familiar white form ran into the room. Max whined as he tried to jump onto the bed and into Zofia's lap, but Rogue held him by his collar to prevent him from doing so.

"Whoa there, handsome, easy, your mama's gotta eat first." Rogue said, her lips pulling into a frown as the dog struggled against her.

Zofia couldn't help the giggle in her throat before she regained her composure and breathed in deeply. "Max, sit." Her tone was firm as she ordered this but when Max gave another whine, she said it again. "Sit!"

This time, Max obeyed and the white dog sat down on his haunches, staring up at her.

"Well, I'll be, he actually listened." Rogue said this with a chuckle as she released the dog. "I bet you trained him good."

"Actually, he listens to Logan a bit better than me sometimes." Zofia replied. She petted Max on the head, scratching behind his ears. "I know you're happy to see me, boy, but you know better than to jump on people when they're eating."

Another whine from Max made Zofia's face soften and she smiled at him. "Be a good boy." She said softly. Zofia then looked at the tray of food Rogue had offered her. "This food..."

"Some eggs and a few pancakes. Just something' i whipped up. The alternative was some swamp food made by Gambit, and trust, Sugah, you don't wanna eat whatever that swamp rat cooks, at least not this time." Rogue added, cringing a bit at the thought of eating whatever "Bayou Specialty" her lover would cook up if given the chance.

"I can only imagine." Zofia felt her stomach churn again, but she ignored, giving into the hunger. "But either way, thank you for the food, Miss Rogue." She said before dipping a fork into the food and eating.

"Please, there's no 'Miss,' it's just Rogue." The southern said this with a wink before giving Max a good pet on the head and walked towards the automatic sliding doors. "Anyways, when you're done eatin', maybe you can go on a tour of the mansion. Just have Hank page us and someone come fetch ya, gal." With that said Rogue gave a wave and walked out, "Welcome to the Xavier Institute."


	7. Sometimes I'd Like to Hide Away Somewhere and Lock the Door

“And that’s pretty much the whole place,” Rogue said softly.  
  
The whole place still seemed massive to Zofia, but she managed to pay attention to Rogue’s descriptions, her mind tucking away tidbits of information on the more important rooms and places her brain deemed relevant to her.  
  
Rogue turned to look at the blind woman with a sheepish smile, “Think you’ll get lost?” Her voice was teasing as she asked this, but Zofia just shook her head.  
  
“Of course not. The mansion’s huge but I think I’ll be fine.” But there was a hint of uneasiness in Zofia’s tone as she replied, nervousness creeping into her voice.  
  
Rogue gave her shoulder a little squeeze. “Don’t worry about it, gal, we’re all a friendly bunch here at the institute, and we’ll be more than happy to help you with anything.”  
  
“Easy for you to say, Chere,” started Gambit, who had joined in on Rogue’s tour, curiously watching the two women the whole time. He constantly shuffled the deck of cards he held in his hands, shuffling them from one hand to the other and back.  
  
Rogue just shot him a glare. “And why do you say that, Gambit?” The Southern woman asked.  
  
A smirk graced Gambit’s lips as he stepped closer, now placing his cards back into the inside pockets of his long trench coat. “Wolverine glares at Gambit every time Gambit comes in range of the petite souris.”  
  
Zofia blinked, not understanding the French terms. “Petite… what?”  
  
“Ya know, souris? A mouse.” Gambit stated. He raised an eyebrow, his red eyes staring hard at the woman. “You never heard someone speak French before?” the Cajun mutant asked.  
  
“Remy!” Rogue started in a warning tone. “Be nice, Swamp Rat.”  
  
“Aw c’mon, Chere, Gambit was just teasing.”  
  
Hearing Gambit’s somewhat whining tone (it was more of a pleading one) confused Zofia. Just a few seconds ago he had spoken like he was angry, but Rogue’s stern tone acted like a switch on his personality, turning him into a more…. Carefree and somewhat childish person. But something told her that his sudden change in attitude was a ploy and an attempt at not getting on the woman’s bad side.  
  
“That’s no reason to be rude towards Zofia like that. Just because you and Wolverine don’t always get along don’t mean you can treat her or any other gal like that.” Rogue chided as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.  
  
Gambit just gave a half smile, holding his gloved hands palms up in what looked like an appealing manner. “You know Wolverine ruffles my feathers, Rogue.”  
  
“Yeah, and you do some ruffling yourself, Remy.” She shot back.”So you’re not so innocent yourself.”  
  
Zofia just shook her head, unsure of what to make of arguing couple. It seems like they were in love but at the same time they sort of acted like a pair of friends who were in love with each other but were too stubborn to admit it. As they stood in the kitchen with Zofia only half paying attention to the arguing couple, Zofia saw Max stand up on all fours, not moving from his spot beside her, but his tail starts wagging hard as he looked in the direction of the kitchen door.  
  
Max’s sudden happy bark made Zofia jump a little, but when the dog ran into the kitchen, she followed after him.  
  
“Max!”  
  
“Hey, where you going, petite souris?” Gambit asked as he and Rogue noticed her leaving. Rogue and Gambit both traded looks before following after the woman and Max.  
  
It’s inside the kitchen that Max’s barking got more furious. From what Zofia could tell, Max would only bark like this out of excitement and that was only usually when someone friendly or someone he was used to was coming in. And this level of barking meant that Logan was home. With excitement rushing through her, Zofia quickly dashed to the door the second it opened and she threw her arms around the first one to enter the door. The body felt warm and but the clothing felt a bit cold from the weather outside, but something felt a bit off about it. It felt too... tall for Logan.  
  
"Well, it's good to see you, too. You must be Zofia."  
  
Her heart leaped at hearing a male voice that wasn't Logan's or even Akihiro's. As a matter of fact, she didn't recognize the voice at all. Shock rippled through her at this realization and she quickly released the man.  
  
“I-I’m sorry!” Her aural vision showed her a mahogany-haired man wearing a pair of red glasses. This new man was a lot taller than Logan and a lot more serious from what she saw of his aura, but he was also friendly. Perhaps a bit aloof as well.  
  
The man just chuckled, “It’s alright,I just didn’t think Logan’s lady would be so affectionate.” As he said this he reached out to ruffle Zofia’s hair, but the second his fingers touched her, Zofia immediately pulled away. “Is something wrong?”  
  
“I, no, sorry, I just…” Her heart started beating hard in her chest as the feeling of being anxious suddenly flared within her. The nauseous feeling returned.  
  
“Don’t worry about it, Scott, Zofia’s just not used to so many of us, right, gal?” Rogue said with a wink as she gave Zofia’s shoulder a little squeeze.  
  
“R-right,” Zofia said quietly, but she froze at hearing the name of the man and she turned her gaze to him. “Scott? As in Scott Summers?” She asked.  
  
A smile graced Scott’s lips as he nodded. “Right, I suppose Logan’s told you about me?” He asked, “I hope they were pleasant things.” The last part came off as a bit as playful (As playful as Cyclops could be anyway).  
  
But Zofia just frowned. “He did, but the one time I got a glimpse of one Logan’s memories of you, it was a bitter memory…”  
  
Realizing who she was speaking to and who was standing in front of her, Zofia squeaked. “He said a lot of nice things about you, it was just….”  
  
Scott had frowned at hearing this, but the mentioning of Zofia’s powers caught his attention.  
  
“You said you have… powers? So you’re a mutant, too?”  
  
Zofia felt her cheeks burning from her flushing. “I…”  
  
Before Zofia could say anything she felt a presence in her head, a soothing voice speaking to her gently.  
  
_It’s okay, Zofia. No one’s going to harm you._  the voice sounded female.  
  
_Who are you?_  Zofia thought back but something in her told her she already knew who was speaking telepathically.  
  
_I’m right behind you._  the voice said.


	8. Here You are Down on Your Knees Again

When Zofia focused her aural vision she saw a red-haired woman with green eyes smiling at her. She didn’t have to ask the woman’s name to know who it was. She knew the woman’s name just from one of Logan’s recent memories she saw when she and Logan first met. As a matter of fact, Jean was one of the few names he said in the middle of one of his nightmares. Her heart jumped in place as she turned around.

“I’m sure you already know who I am.” Jean smiled as she said this, offering her hand to the blind woman before her. Zofia nodded mutely, shaking Jean’s hand gently.

“Yeah, L-Logan mentioned you and Scott, a time, or two,” Zofia mumbled, but before she or Jean could say or do anything else, Max barked again. This time the dog darting past Scott and outside. Scott had to step out of the dog’s way to avoid being knocked over by him.

“That’s quite the active pup you got there, Zofia,” Cyclops said in a teasing tone.

Zofia gave a half-hearted smile, not knowing what to say in response.

“I’d say the mutt never grew out of the pup stage,” Logan said as he stepped in through the door He glanced at the pit bull-husky trailing after him as he carried in what appeared to be groceries. Zofia couldn’t help the burst of happiness (and relief) going through her as she walked up to him.

“Wha-Zofia, did you miss me that much?” Logan after being greeted by her kiss. Seeing her face flush, Logan just chuckled and embraced her with his free arm. “I’m just teasing ya, Snowflake.”

“Sure you are.” He heard her mumble, but Zofia buried her face into his chest anyway.

“What Gambit don’t get is how can the souris just walk straight into Wolverine’s arms if she’s blind.”

Zofia tensed at hearing Gambit’s words but almost chuckled at hearing Rogue slap the Cajun on his head. It was obvious that Gambit always spoke his mind and almost never kept his thoughts to himself.

“What? We was all thinkin’ it, Chere.” Gambit said.

“Only you, Remy. No one else would question the abilities of another person like that.”

Scott even shook his head at hearing Rogue and Gambit’s short banter. “I apologize for Gambit’s rudeness, Zofia, Logan. Gambit’s just…”

“He don’t know how to watch his tongue, to think before he speaks,” Logan said with a growl as he glared at Gambit. He wasn’t surprised to feel Zofia’s hands on his arm, a signal for him to calm down. It was just one of the many things Logan had grown accustomed to.

“It’s alright. I’ve never been questioned about my blindness and powers back at home.” Zofia’s quiet voice seemed to make everyone in the kitchen stop and stare at her. She felt a bit unnerved at all the eyes on her but she breathed in deeply before continuing. “I am blind, but I can see using my powers.”

“Powers? So the mouse really is a mutant.” Surprise could be heard in Gambit’s voice as he said this. His eyes widened a bit but they lit up with another thought that popped into mind. “And what kind of powers do you have that can help you see?"

"Cajun," Logan growled in warning, but another touch from Zofia stopped him from doing much else. As Zofia kept her hand on her lover's arm, she continued her explanation.

"I can see everyone by their auras, but I need to touch you in order to get a clear picture. As for everything else, the images in my mind are a bit fuzzy, kind of... grainy."

"Isn't seeing auras a psychic thing?" Jubilee asked this now, having been oddly quiet the whole time.

Zofia nodded as she instinctively petting Max, who had made himself comfortable at her feet. As she continued petting Max, Zofia sensed a familiar presence coming through the hall. Her entire body froze at the familiar presence.

“Zo” Logan started, seeing the woman pause in petting Max, the dog pressing his nose into her hand, prompting her to pet him more. “Something wrong?”

Before she could respond, a voice sounded from the entry way into the kitchen. “Why is everyone gathered in the kitchen?”

“Oh, Daken, there you are, mon ami,” Gambit’s eyes lit up at seeing the newcomer. The Cajun quickly grabbed the said male by his shoulder and guided him into the kitchen. “I’m sure you’ve already met Zofia, non?”

“What the--? Of course I ha--Oh, Zofia-chan.” Confusion was on Daken’s face, but he smiled half-heartedly. “You’re awake.”

“”Y-yeah,” Zofia felt her heart beating hard in her chest but Gambit kept a hand on Daken’s shoulder as he spoke again.

“Did you know, petite souris, Daken is the son of Wolverine?”

Something about Gambit’s news made Zofia flinch, a painful stabbing in her heart. Logan growled, this time no touch would be able to calm him as he glared at the red haired mutant.

“That’s it, Gumbo, you really did it now!”

“Gambit, what the hell is wrong with you?” Asked Rogue.

“What? I just thought she should know.”

Zofia remained where she was, feeling numb as her mind processed what Gambit had just said. It seemed like forever as she remained frozen until…

Laughter built up in her throat, but she couldn’t contain it as a giggle escaped her lips. The first laugh made everyone stop in the middle of what appeared to be bickering and look at her. Zofia appeared to be trying to control her nervous laughter, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Zofia?” Logan said, feeling puzzled at his lover’s actions. He’s never seen her cry while laughing. This was new.

“O-of c-course,” Zofia’s words became lost and indecipherable among laughter and the whimpering noises. Why was she crying? Why was there this painful feeling in her heart?


	9. There is No Need to Protect Me

"Zofia-chan?" Daken slowly walked up to the blind woman, who was on her knees with her hands over her mouth. "Zofia-chan, take some deep breaths!"  
  
But she couldn't. Her entire body felt heavy, almost like something was holding her in place. Every muscle in her body was frozen in place. There was something holding her there, forcing her to hold her hands over her mouth and nose.  
  
"Zofia, lower your hands! Zofia!"  
  
Daken grabbed Zofia's wrists and tried to pull her hands away from her face but he couldn't get them to budge. "Zofia-chan, come on, whatever you're doing, you need to stop."  
  
Zofia whimpered as she tried to pull her hands away but they remained where they were. Her eyes widened with fright. She hadn't experienced something like this since she had angered Isaac when she was younger but he never showed any signs of being able to control another person let alone having any kind of mutant powers.  
  
"Damn it, what the hell is going on?" Logan growled as he, too, tried easing Zofia's hands away from her face. "Jean, think you can help her?"  
  
His voice was worried, almost desperate as he looked at the red-haired woman for help. Jean nodded. Scott grabbed his wife's arm, a worried look on his face, but the reassurance of her soft smile made the man smile in return and he released her. It had been a while since Jean had used her powers to go into someone's mind, let alone used her abilities to control their will. But both Jean and Scott understood what needed to be done. Jean walked up to Zofia and stopped just before her, seeing Daken still trying to pull the woman's hands from her mouth.  
  
"What the hell's making you do this?" Logan's son grumbled. The Japanese mutant almost jumped at feeling Jean touching his shoulder.  
  
"Let her go, Daken and I'll see if I can help her."  
  
Daken did as he was told and he watched as Jean knelt in front of his friend. Another whimper from Zofia made him want to leave the room and seek out the one doing this to her but he remained where he was. He didn’t want to be seen as suspicious.  
  
Jean inhaled and closed her eyes as she placed a hand on Zofia’s cheek.  _Zofia, please let me in, let me help you."_  
  
\--  
He watched with bored curiosity as the man beside him concentrated hard. They were sitting in a car, parked far enough from the mansion that was the Xavier Institute, but still close enough that his "employer" could reach the mouse inside with his "abilities."  
  
Sabertooth scoffed at the thought of Isaac calling his mutant powers just an ability, instead of acknowledging that he was a mutant like him. And sitting here, waiting for the man to finish whatever he was doing was making Sabertooth bored and restless. If it were up to him both the runt and the mouse would be dead. And that damn brat of Wolverine's would be put in his place, but no, Isaac had a plan. Well, a new plan.  
  
After a few minutes of just sitting there and watching Isaac, one hand tapping boredly on the car door, Sabertooth let out a growl.  
  
"We should just go into that damned house and be done with them all!" Sabertooth growled. He was bored and, wanted so badly to fight Wolverine again.  
  
Isaac's body tensed as he kept his eyes closed, concentrating on controlling Zofia.  
  
"Well?" Sabertooth growled again when the man didn't respond. From the other side of Isaac, a woman with long red hair and blue skin glared at him, her Amber colored eyes narrowing. The woman's lips pulled back into a frown.  
  
"Quiet you fool! Don't you know Isaac needs silence to concentrate?" She hissed.  
  
Sabertooth bored his teeth at the female, a growl threatening to leave his lips. "I don't see you shutting up, you shapeshifting wench!"  
  
Mystique glared, even more, feeling the urge to turn into something else and rip his throat out. She may have a history with Victor Creed and even had a son with him but Sabertooth could be extremely trying and aggravating.  
  
"You're the one barking like a restless beast." The female shapeshifter said lowly. Sabertooth growled again in response, only for Isaac to open his eyes and glare at both of them briefly before closing them again.  
  
"Both of you shut up." Isaac's sharp tone made his two "companions" silent as he went back to his task.  
  
A few more minutes passed before Sabertooth spoke again. "What are we supposed to be doing anyway?" The bestial man asked, his Amber feline eyes catching Mystique's.  
  
Mystique just rolled her eyes before uncrossing her arms. "Because you failed miserably in tearing Zofia and Logan apart from each other, as did that boy,  _we_  are going with my plan."  
  
His lips curled back into a smirk as an amused chuckle rumbled in Sabertooth's throat. "And what makes you think your plan will work any better than mine did?"  
  
This was where Mystique's smile held a lot of animosity in it but there was that unmistakable confidence in the same smile. "Because this is my daughter Isaac is controlling. Who knows her better than I?" Mystique laid both of her white-gloved hands on Isaac's shoulders, leaning into him and smiling at Sabertooth.


End file.
